The NYS Consumer Protection Board (CPB) is today commending Toys-"R"-Us, Inc. and its participating suppliers for launching the second “Great Trade-In” event, an innovative safety program designed to remove potentially unsafe old and second-hand children’s products from homes, day care centers and other locations.

According to the retailer, from January 29th through February 20th, used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems, play yards, high chairs and toddler beds can be dropped off at Toys-“R”-Us and Babies-“R”-Us stores nationwide, in exchange for a 25% savings on the purchase of any new baby item in any of these product categories, from participating manufacturers. This program shows how retailers, by raising awareness and offering consumers an incentive to return their used items, can make a difference in the effort to help keep children safe.

Older cribs, car seats, and other durable infant and toddlers products often do not meet the most current safety requirements and in some cases may be subject to a safety recall. The CPB encourages consumers to regularly check the complete listing of recalled products, at the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) web site at www.recalls.gov or www.nysconsumer.gov which focuses primarily on posting recalls relating to toys and juvenile products. Recalled items, as well as older items not subject to a recall but which no longer meet updated safety standards, should be safely discarded.

The first “Great Trade-In” event in September 2009 led to the return of tens of thousands of potentially unsafe children’s products. We encourage consumers to avail themselves of this new opportunity to replace potentially dangerous children’s products instead of passing them on to friends, relatives or second-hand stores.

As the New York State designee to the CPSC, the CPB conducts recall effectiveness sweeps to monitor the removal of recalled toys from store shelves. We are taking this occasion to again call on consumers to be vigilant and keep children out of harm’s way by reviewing the items they own, heeding warnings and instructions from manufacturers and/or returning or destroying those that are not safe.